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HP1/ORC complex and heterochromatin assembly.

Title

HP1/ORC complex and heterochromatin assembly.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2003

Journal

Genetica

Volume

117

Issue

2-3

Pagination

127-34

ISSN

0016-6707

Abstract

We have used the highly conserved heterochromatin component, heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), as a molecular tag for purifying other protein components of Drosophila heterochromatin. A complex of HP1 associated with the origin recognition complex (ORC) and an HP1/ORC-associated protein (HOAP) was purified from the maternally loaded cytoplasm of early Drosophila embryo. We propose that the DNA-binding activities of ORC and HOAP function to recruit underphosphorylatedisoforms of HP1 to sites of heterochromatin nucleation. The roles of highly phosphorylated HP1, other DNA-binding proteins known to interact with HP1, and histone modifying activities in heterochromatin assembly are also addressed.